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Exactly--when the flatty debuted in 1932, it was by definition revolutionary. Other V8s existed for several years (to include offerings from Cadillac and Lincoln), that wasn't the important part; the flatty was the first V8 ever to be cast as a monolithic block and made readily available to the public for a modest price. Every other one prior to that was cast as a simple crankcase then line workers installed individual cylinders. Then when Chevrolet introduced their first small block OHV engine, just like 23 years before, it was hailed as revolutionary because it simplified manufacturing processes and was cheaply produced for the masses, not just for upper end vehicles.